Fourth Succession War
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Lasting from 3028 to 3030, the Fourth Succession War was the largest offensive since the Second Succession War, over a hundred years prior. The war gave the Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns a common border so that they could eventually have one contiguous nation, the Federated Commonwealth.
Contents
Pre-war
Planning for War
The planning for the Fourth War came after Federated Suns First Prince Hanse Davion signed the Federated Commonwealth Alliance document with the Lyran Commonwealth Archon, Katrina Steiner, in 3022. Secretly included in the document was a provision that called for the marriage of Hanse and Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner, which would (eventually) result in the union of those two realms in the person of Hanse and Melissa's eldest child. In order to join their realms together, they needed to create a common border. This could only be done through the conquest of intervening planets.
Hanse Davion also had a score to settle. In 3025, Chancellor Maximilian Liao had attempted to replace Prince Davion with a body-double. This double certainly would have delivered the Federated Suns into the Capellan Confederation's hands, but the plot was discovered and foiled by Hanse's best friend and closest adviser, Ardan Sortek.
Hanse began by staging military exercises close to the Capellan Confederation border on a yearly basis starting in 3026. The so-called "Galahad tournaments" not only gave his troops exercise, but it got the Capellans used to large troop movements near their border.
Hanse had also instituted an elaborate spy game. The son of Quintus Allard, the director of the Federated Suns civilian spy agency (the Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations or MIIO for short), Justin Allard, was publicly ridiculed and exiled. After Justin Allard publicly embraced his Capellan heritage, started calling himself Justin Xiang (his mother's maiden name), and won the Solaris VII championship, Chancellor Liao welcomed him into his intelligence agency. Unbeknownst to all but Justin, Hanse, and Quintus, Justin Xiang Allard was actually a double agent working for his father. In addition, another deep cover agent, Alex Mallory, had also infiltrated the Maskirovka (the Capellan spy agency). By the time the war started, these two men were the #2 and #3 men in the Maskirovka.
Hanse was also aware of a traitor in his midst. His half-stepbrother, Duke Michael Hasek-Davion, nursed a bitter grudge against Hanse because he wanted to be Prince (for a more detailed analysis, see this article) and had been covertly passing information to Maximillian Liao. Hanse was able to use Duke Michael to feed false troop information to the Capellans, who were left woefully out of position for the assault.
Prince Davion had also signed an independent truce with Candace Liao, heir to the Chancellorship and Duchess of the St. Ives Commonality (roughly one-fifth of the Capellan Confederation).
On the Lyran side, Archon Katrina made contacts amongst the Rasalhaguian resistance. The conquered people of Rasalhague had maintained an organized resistance for centuries, even though the majority of it had been stopped by the mid-24th century. The Lyrans used this resistance in exchange for the promise of freedom.
In response to the F-C alliance, the leaders of the other three Successor States, the Capellan Confederation, Free Worlds League, and Draconis Combine came together under a loose alliance known as the Kapteyn Accords. This alliance, which was overseen by ComStar, lacked the uniting features of the FedCom alliance. Indeed, negotiations were almost derailed when Janos Marik and Maximilian Liao were informed that the other party would be involved. The Accords were signed, but did not overcome long years of distrust.
Forces Overview
DRACONIS COMBINE MUSTERED SOLDIERY 3025
Confederation Capella Armored Forces 3025
Lyran Commonwealth Armored Forces 3025
Free Worlds League Military 3025
Federated Suns Armored Forces 3025
Uniting Two Families
Perhaps the most important social event until that time occurred on Terra. On 20 August 3028, six months after her eighteenth birthday, Hanse Davion married Melissa Steiner. The leader of every Successor State was there, including their aides, heirs, and other VIPs. At the wedding reception, Hanse Davion uttered one of the most quoted lines in Inner Sphere history, "My dear... I give you the Capellan Confederation." To the leaders of the Inner Sphere, it seemed like this touched off the 4th War, but, in fact, troops had already invaded the day before.
Federated Suns
The Capellan Front => Operation Rat (Fedsun offensive)
The most damage during the war was done to the Capellan Confederation. Davion's stated goal was to ensure that the Capellan Confederation was no longer a threat by depriving it of its heavy industry. Under the cover of war games, the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS) used sheer numbers to overwhelm the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces (CCAF).
The AFFS exploited a strategic weakness in CCAF structure. The Capellans lightly garrisoned border worlds and relied on a strategic reserve to intervene quickly to achieve local superiority. The Capellan Confederation Armed Forces were outnumbered by nearly four to one by the AFFS, however. Their strategy was well-suited to dealing with the constant raiding of the Third Succession War, but left the Capellans unable to respond when multiple planets were hit at the same time as Hanse Davion brought the entirety of his army to bear. Coupled with overwhelming force and an infiltrated command structure, the Capellans were overrun.
Chancellor Liao also had to deal with a high-ranking traitor. Pavel Ridzik, Maximilian's chief military adviser decided to seize power for himself. The Tikonov native returned to his homeworld and announced that he was forming his own nation, the Tikonov Free Republic. The Republic signed an independent alliance with House Davion and attacked the Free Worlds League. In retribution, Chancellor Liao had Ridzik assassinated. Ardan Sortek, who had been in the Republic as an adviser, took temporary control of the Republic. After the end of the war, the Tikonov Free Republic voted to join the Federated Suns in 3031.[1]
The truce that Hanse Davion had struck with Candace Liao paid off. Amid a romance with Candace, Justin Xiang Allard outed himself as a FedSuns agent to her and returned to FedSuns space with her. She brought the St. Ives Commonality with her and formed her own independent nation, the St. Ives Compact. This decision left her younger sister Romano as the heir-apparent to the Celestial Throne.
Wave 1
Goals
*addition to its territorial aims,
*crippling the Capetian
*command structure and destroying its most powerful units
| Aldebaran | Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT the Fourth Davion Guards RCT and Redfield's Renegades |
House Ijori 'Mech regiment and 16 regiments of armor and infantry |
| Liao | Thirty-third Avalon Hussars RCT Blue Star Irregulars (3 regiments) Redfield's Renegades (later) |
House LuSann's (2 b) First Confederation Reserve Cavalry Vincent's Commandos (2 b) Profectorate Guard |
| Algol | Third Davion Guards RCT Eridani Light Horse (White Horse Regiment) |
First Ariana Fusiliers |
| New Hessen | First New Ivaarsen Chasseurs Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs |
First and Second New Hessen Irregulars |
| Pleione | two mercenary 'Mech regiments of the Screaming Eagles | Third Battalion of McCrimmon's Light Cavalry |
| Poznan | Gamma and Delta Regiments of Twelfth Vegan Rangers | six regiments of lightly armed militia |
| St . Andre | Davion Light Guards RCT Alpha and Beta Regiments of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers. |
Justinia's Cuirassiers Cochraine's Goliaths First Battalion of the Blackwind Lancers |
| Shensi | First Davion Guards RCT | poorly armed planetary militia |
| Styk | Twentieth Avalon Hussars RCT Davion Heavy Guards RCT |
Third Battalion of the Fourth Confederation Reserve Cavalry House Fujita |
Wave 2
The second wave focused on Tikonov for four reasons :
1. it was the capital of the Tikonov Commonality
2. it was a vital economic center of the Confederation
3. it was a heavily fortified world that could harbor many 'Mech regiments for counterattacks
4. it was the base for Colonel Pavel Ridzik, commander and driving force of the
| Tikonov | All eight Crucis Lancers RCT | large militia, about 80 regiments Deep-Space Interdiction Forces (The Night Riders) MacGregor's Armored Scouts (1 b) 4th Tau Ceti Rangers (1 b) Hamilton's Highlanders (1b) Second Ariana Fusilier Ariana Grenadiers (1b) First Chesterton Voltigeurs Second Chesterton Voltigeurs Third Chesterton Voltigeurs |
| Tsitsang | First Davion Guards RCT | militia |
| Genoa | The Thirty-third Avalon Hussars Blue Star Irregulars |
militia |
| Gan Singh | Screaming Eagles mercenary regiments assisted by Fourth Garrison Force (six regiments of Davion occupation troops) |
militia |
| Buchlau | Gamma and Delta Regiments of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers + First Garrison Forces |
militia |
| Hunan | Aragon Borderers reinforced by Delta Company of the Davion Light Guards 'Mech regiment |
Freemont's Cuirassiers (1b) |
| Zurich | The Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT | First Battalion of Trimaldi's Secutors |
| 'Ningpo | Third Davion Guards RCT | First Battalion of McCrimmon's Light Cavalry Marion's Highlanders |
| Alrescha | First Regiment of the New Ivaarsen Chasseurs | Second Battalion of the Hamilton Highlanders Second Battalion of MacGregor's Armored Scouts |
Wave 3
| Menker | The Seventh Crucis Lancers RCT | militia |
| Achernar | First Crucis Lancers RCT | militia |
| Kansu | Delta Regiment of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers | militia |
| Yangtze | First New Ivaarsen Chasseurs | militia |
| Ronel | two heavy battalions of Miller's Marauders, plus the twelve regiments of the Addicks March Militia |
First Battalion of Kerr's Intruders. |
| Tybalt | Fourth Crucis Lancers | Third Battalion of Lothar's Fusiliers |
| Slocum | The Third Davion Guards RCT | Second Battalion of McCrimmon's Light Cavalry |
| New Canton | Screaming Eagles + ten garrison regiments |
First Battalion of the Fourth Confederation Reserve Cavalry Third Battalion of Trimaldi's Secutors |
| Arboris | Thirty-third Avalon Hussars RCT two regiments of the Blue Star Irregulars |
First Regiment of McCarron's Armored Cavalry |
| Saiph | Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT | Third Battalion of Justine's Grenadiers |
| Tigress | Third Crucis Lancers. | House Hiritsu 'Mech regiment Second Battalion of Kerr's Intruders Laurel's Legion, a battalion |
| Jonathan | Fifth and Sixth Crucis Lancers | Second Kearny Highlanders Second Battalion of Freemont's Cuirassiers |
Wave 4
Fourth Wave focus on isolated CapeIIan worlds near Terra and the eventual linking of the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth
| Menkalinan | Screaming Eagles | Menkalinan Militia 1 st Free Worlds Guards (2nd Bn) |
| Tall Trees | Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT | Thirty regiments, most of them infantry |
| Shipka | Gamma and Delta Regiments of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers | militia |
| Foochow | Seventh Crucis Lancers RCT | militia |
| Foot Fall | Fifth and Sixth Crucis Lancer RCTs | militia |
| Woodstock | Thirty-third AvaIon Hussars | militia |
| Bharat | First Crucis Lancers | militia |
| Hamal | First New Ivaarsen Chasseurs | militia |
| Highspire | Bell CapeIIan March Militia RCT | First Kearny Highlanders militia regiments |
| Azha | Third Davion Guards | militia |
| Second Try | Twentieth AvaIon Hussars | militia |
Operations Risposte and Ambush
Chancellor Liao had a spy in the command staff of Duke Hasek. He was known to the MIIO and they let him work. The informations that he received were false. On this bases the Chancellor believe that the supply bases (Kawich, Nopah, Basalt, New Aragon, Algot, and Halloran V + Axton for special reason) were lightly defended. He decided to attack the 6 planets. The defense lay in the hands of 17 'Mech regiments and 40 infantry and armor regiments on these worlds.
| ALGOT | Davion Light Guards RCT Alpha Regiment of Twelfth Vegan Rangers |
The Third battalion of the Second Ariana Fusiliers + two regiments of hovertanks and one of jump infantry |
| Axton | Second NAIS Training Cadre and four regiments of infantry and tanks | First Battalion of the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers |
| KAWICH | Striker Regiment, Eridani Light Horse three regiments of infantry and armor, reinforced by the Second Battalion of 'Mechs from the First Davion Guards RCT Third Crucis Lancers |
Three groups Group 1:A battalion from House Hiritsu Group 2:A battalion from the Third Confederation Reserve Cavalry, a company from Trimaldi's Secutors, and a company of Lothar's Fusiliers |
| Basalt | Fourth Davion Guards RCT Fourth Crucis Lancers |
several 'Mech battalions and companies totaling almost regiment = A company from the First Kerr's Intruders, a company from McCrimmon's Light Cavalry a company from MacGregor's Armored Scouts five companies from the First New Hessen Irregulars 18 'Mechs from the veteran House Ijori with three infantry regiments and four armor regiments |
| NEW ARAGON | Davion Heavy Guards RCT New Avalon Crucis March Militia Aragon Borderers and six infantry and tank regiments |
The three battered regiments of the Chesterton Voltigeurs (4 bat) + 4 regiments of infantry and two heavy tank regiment |
| NOPAH | Beta Regiment of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers The Crater Cobras (2 reg.) First Ceti Hussars RCT |
Third Battalion of the First McCarron's Armored 1 battalion a from the Confederation Reserve Cavalry Cavalry surviving Mech-Warriors from House LuSann (1b) The Prefectorate Guard |
| HALLORAN V | Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs RCT The Second Regiment of the Screaming Eagles |
15 remaining members of the once-proud Freemont's Cuirassiers reinforced by two regiments of armor and infantry |
Wave 5
The overall objective was the same as it had always been, to conquer the Confederation and destroy as many Liao regiments as possible
| Corey | Twentieth Avalon Hussars | Militia |
| Zaurak | 1 battalion from the Gamma Regiment of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers + two regiments ofDavion armor and four of infantry |
Militia |
| Menkib | Fifth Crucis Lancers. | Militia |
| New Macao | Seventh Crucis Lancers | Militia |
| Mandate | Sixth Crucis Lancers | Militia |
| Wei | The Vegan Delta Regiment and two battalions from Gamma + three regiments of armor and four of infantry |
Sung's Cuirassiers and many militia regiments |
| Remshield | Davion Light Guards RCT | First Battalion of Hurloc's Hussars First Battalion of the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers |
| Tsingtao | Davion Heavy Guards RCT | The Second Battalion of Hurloc's Hussars |
| Sarna | Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers RCT two regiments of the Crater-Cobras mercenary unit, the Second Regiment of the Screaming Eagles, and 15 conventional regiments + as reinforcment Davion Heavy Guards RCT Davion Light Guards RCT |
Sarna Militia McCarron's Armored Cavalry: 2nd 3rd 4th 5th |
Wave 6
| Truth | Davion Heavy Guards | militia |
| Kaifeng | Davion Light Guards RCT | militia |
| Matsu | Seventh Crucis Lancers RCT | militia |
| Heligoland | Sixth Crucis Lancers RCT | Kingston's Legionnaires |
| Palos | Gamma and Delta Regiments of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers and twelve conventional regiments attacked | Second Confederation Reserve Cavalry and 20 veteran tank and infantry regiments |
| Sakhalin | Fifth Crucis Lancers RCT | First Battalion of Kamakura's Hussars |
| Kathil (counterattack) + Sian (surprise attack) | 1st Kathil Uhlans | Death Commandos Second Battalion of the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers House imarra (on Sian) |
Creation of St. Ives Pact (former St. Ives Commonality) =>puffer state between Capcon and Fedsun
Wave 7
Goal: to gain as much territory as possible before truce
| Bora | ||
| Campertown | ||
| Charndo | ||
| Elnath | ||
| Lesalles | ||
| Old Kentucky | ||
| Phact | ||
| Quemoy | ||
| Raballa | ||
| Sarmaxa | ||
| Ulan Bator | ||
| Wazan | ||
| Yunnah | ||
| Sarna (continued) | ||
| Tsinghai | Twentieth AvaIon Hussars RCT Gamma and Delta Regiments of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers |
a battalion of the Fifth Confederation Reserve Cavalry a battalion of Preston's Lancers |
ComStar
ComStar also took an interest in the course of the war. The supposedly neutral power desired smaller, more fragmented nation that would be easier to manipulate, but the 4th War seemed to promise a mighty Federated Commonwealth. ComStar decided to slow the AFFS' progress by imposing a communications interdiction. They faked an AFFS attack on the HPG on Sarna and used the "incident" as the excuse they needed. Unbeknownst to ComStar, Hanse Davion had changed the units he used to assault Sarna at the last minute, alerting him to ComStar's duplicity. Despite that, Hanse could not afford to openly challenge ComStar, so he made no public statement about it. The interdiction effectively stopped all interplanetary communication within the Federated Suns, as well as any communication in or out. Hanse still had another trick up his sleeve. The New Avalon Institute of Science had recently duplicated the ability to send communications between worlds with their fax machines, but they were much slower than what ComStar could manage. These so-called "black boxes" were pressed into service, but Hanse found it increasingly difficult to coordinate his military.
ComStar showed their perfidy once more towards the end of the war. In order to set back the technological progress of the Successor States, ComStar executed a raid on the New Avalon Institute of Science. They disguised themselves as the Death Commandos, the elite commandos of the Capellan Confederation and personal bodyguards of Chancellor Liao. During the battle, Prince Hanse Davion took to the field himself in his BattleMaster. The attack did only superficial damage to the university, but did great damage to ComStar in Hanse Davion's eyes. His spies in the Capellan Confederation later reported to him that the Death Commandos were on the planet Kathil during the time of the raid, so there was no way they could have pulled it off. Coupled with the knowledge of the supposed HPG destruction on Sarna, Hanse came to the only logical conclusion.
The Combine Front
In order to find the forces for his massive assault on the Capellan Confederation, Hanse Davion had to strip away large quantities of troops from the border with the Draconis Combine. Far from leaving himself open to attack, Hanse contracted the mercenary unit Wolf's Dragoons to defend his border. Jaime Wolf, the commander of the Dragoons, and Coordinator Takashi Kurita held a deep personal dislike of each other, so Jaime was able to goad Coordinator Kurita into throwing everything he could spare at his Dragoons.
By the end of the war, Wolf's Dragoons had been reduced from over five regiments to one reinforced regiment. In gratitude, Hanse Davion granted Jaime Wolf and his Dragoons the conquered planet of Outreach in perpetuity.
Lyran Commonwealth
The Combine Front (OPERATION GOTTERDAMMERUNG)
Goals:
- to challenge as many mech regiments as possible
- to cover the rear of the Fedsun => DCMS to busy for a two front wars
| HARVEST | Fourth Donegal Guards First Lyran Regulars Third Lyran Regulars 40 infantry and tank regiments |
Fifth Amphigean Light Assault Group Helmut's Hermits 20 regiments of infantry and armor. |
| BASILIANO | McGavin's Regiment of the Night Stalkers |
Twenty-fourth Arcturan Guards Twenty-fifth Arcturan Guards Blackhearts |
| WHEEL | First Narhal Raiders Hansen's Roughriders |
Tooth of Ymir ten militia regiments |
| MARFIK | Eleventh Legion of Vega twelve other regiments |
Fourth Skye Rangers 25 infantry and tank regiments |
| Moritz | Eighth Donegal Guards | Fifth Sun Zhang Academy Cadre |
| Weingarten | Fifteenth Lyran Regulars | First Sun Zhang Training Cadre |
| Kandis | Twenty-sixth Lyran Guards | St. Cyr Heavy Assault Group |
| Karbala | Tenth Lyran Guards | Vandelay's Valkyries twelve infantry and armor regiments |
| New Caledonia | Thirtieth Lyran Guards Tenth Donegal Guards |
Second An Ting Legion |
| Al Hillah | ||
| Camlann | ||
| Diosd | ||
| Hyperion | ||
| Jabuka | Nineteenth Arcturan Guards, | Fifth Rasalhague Regulars |
| Ko | ||
| Orestes | ||
| Ramsau | ||
| Sabik | ||
| Shaula | ||
| Shionoha | ||
| Volders | ||
| Buckminister | Third Royal Guards and the 39 regiments of the RCT Twentieth Arcturan Guards (reinfor.) |
Second Sword of Light regiment 22 of the best infantry and tank regiments Sixth Arkab Legion (reinfor.) |
| Vega | Third Lyran Guards | Second Legions of Vega Fourteenth Legions of Vega 40 tank and infantry regiments |
DCMS conterattacks
| The Edge | Tenth Donegal Guards | Twenty-fifth Rasalhague Regulars |
| Stanzach | Twelfth Donegal Guards reinforced by the Eighth Donegal Guards |
Ninth PeshtRegulars Thirteenth Rasalhague Regulars |
| Utrecht | Fourteenth Donegal Guards | Seventh Sword of Light 20 infantry and armor regiments |
| Kimball II | Fourth Skye Rangers - First and Third Battalions | Third Dieron Regulars |
| Kornephoros | Fourth Skye Rangers - Second Battalion and Lighting Company | Seventeenth Benjamin Regulars |
| Sabik | Barrett's Fusiliers | Kingston Caballeros |
| La Blon | a battalion of aging militia 'Mechs and 20 infantry and tank regiments | Fourth Proserpina Hussars 18 lesser units |
AFTER THE LULL AND FOLLOW-UP INVASIONS
| The Edge | Tenth Donegal Guards | Twenty-fifth Rasalhague Regulars |
| Aubisson | ||
| Hainfeld | ||
| Gumium | ||
| Mozirje | ||
| Atria | ||
| Imbros III | ||
| Unzmarkt | ||
| Skokie | ||
| Ueda | ||
| Liezen | Winfield's Brigade | Altenmarkt Militia |
| Engadin | Twenty-sixth Lyran Guards | Cyr Heavy Assault Group remnants of the Fifth Sun Zhang Academy Cadre |
| Stanzach | Tyr Regiment Eighth Twelfth Donegal Guards |
Ninth Pesht Regulars Thirteenth Rasalhague Regulars |
| Gunzburg | Mobile Fire Bad Dream |
Twenty-second Rasalhague Regulars |
| Utrecht | Fourteenth Donegal Guards | Seventh Sword of Light |
| Shirotori | Third Donegal Guards | First Proserpina Hussars |
The LCAF gained
six worlds: Unzmarkt, Mozirje, Skokie, Ueda, Atria Imbros III
lost: Vega, Altenmarkt, Cebalrai, Sabik and La Blon
| Lyons | Kell Hounds | two battalions from the Third Dieron Regulars |
| TAMAR | Grave Walkers (two regiments) | Thirteenth Rasalhague Regulars |
| Csesztreg | only militia | |
| Feltre | only militia | |
| Galuzzo | only militia | |
| Nox | only militia | |
| Quarell | only militia | |
| Satalic | Waco Rangers Hansen's Roughriders |
Ninth Rasalhague Regulars |
| Altenmarkt | Twenty-third Arcturan Guards | Fifth Rasalhague Regulars |
OPERATION HOLDUR
| Dromini Vl | Ten Commonwealth armored and infantry regiments aided by three militia infantry |
eleven Kurita militia regiments Dromini Vl |
| Yorii | 16 infantry and conventional regiments | |
| Lambrecht | The Third Regiment - Twelfth Star Guards RCT | |
| Asia | The Seventh Regiment - Twelfth Star Guards | |
| Altair | Always Faithful regiment Seventeenth Skye Rangers + their RCTs |
18 Dieron Regulars |
| DYEV | The Seventeenth Donegal Guards set out to destroy the | Twenty-second Dieron Regulars |
| LA BLON | First Royal Guards and two companies of Barrett's Fusiliers |
Fourth Proserpina Hussars |
| SABIK | The Twenty-fourth Lyran Guards RCT | Kingston Caballeros |
OPERATION CONTAGION
Organized through Theodore Kurita =>Genyosha, the Seventh Benjamin Regulars, the Third Dieron Regulars, the Second and Fourteenth Legions of Vega, and dozens of conventional regiments gatheresd on DROMINI VI
- Fourteenth Legion of Vega => Skondia,
- Genyosha => Nusakan
- a battalion of the Third Dieron with conventional support => Alphecca.
| Skondia | The Fourteenth Legion of Vega | five regiments of militia infantry two militia 'Mech battalions |
| NUSAKAN | Kell Hounds | 5th Sword of Light |
| DROMINI V1 | Tenth Lyran Guards several conventional regiments |
Kuritan forces |
The Lyrans had many things going for them. They had the Rasalhague rebels fomenting insurrection and providing them with intelligence. They had Takashi Kurita's distraction with Wolf's Dragoons. They used these advantages to push the Draconis Combine back along a very broad front. They took a number of traditionally Rasalhagian worlds from the Combine, though their successes did not match what the Federated Suns managed to achieve against the Capellans.
Lyran military doctrine was significantly different than that of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. Whereas the AFFS executed several different "waves," effectively leapfrogging each other, the Lyrans used their wall of assault 'Mechs and pushed into the Draconis Combine on a very broad front. This was not a tactic that had served the Lyrans well in the past, but circumstances conspired to make it a feasible strategy for the 4th War.
The Lyran offensive was stalled when the Combine struck back and scored a couple of worlds that put them within one jump of Skye, a regional capital. Unwilling to continue pressing forward, but unable to reclaim their lost worlds, the Lyran assault ground to a halt.
The League Front
While content to watch the other four Successor States "knock each other dizzy," Captain-General Janos Marik was convinced by his allies to launch some attack to ease pressure on them. Thus Operation Dagger was born. Not a broad offensive, the operation called for a series of raids and heavy probes. The 5th Regulan Hussars and 25th Marik Militia hit Wyatt, defended by the 11th Lyran Guards and 17th Arcturan Guards. Both Lyran regiments withdrew after the attack began. Smithson's Chinese Bandits hit Milton, and the 30th Marik Militia hit Phecda. On Poulsbo the 6th Orloff Grenadiers forced the 1st Knights of St. Cameron off planet. Timbiqui and Launam were also taken. Operation Dagger bogged down upon Janos Marik recieving word that Andurien forces, claiming terrorists attacks by Capellans, began assaults on Capellan worlds.
Free Worlds League
Both Maximilian Liao and Hanse Davion had sponsored a rebellion in the Free Worlds League. Anton Marik, in an ill-advised revolt, attempted to wrest power away from his brother, Captain-General Janos Marik. The anti-climatic end of battle occurred when he turned on the mercenaries that Liao had provided him, so Natasha Kerensky's Black Widows killed Anton. With the Free Worlds League Military back up to strength, Janos decided to take advantage of Capellan distraction and attack. Hanse, however, did not want the Free Worlds League to strengthen, so he declared an end to the war.
Aftermath
The Federated Suns conquered roughly a third of the Capellan Confederation, while two commonalities seceded from the realm. While the Tikonov Free Republic joined the Federated Suns, the St. Ives Compact continued to remain politically independent, though dependent on AFFS military aid to avoid being conquered by the Capellan Confederation. The conquered worlds were incorporated into the Federated Commonwealth as the Sarna March.
Maximilian Liao went stark-raving mad. His younger daughter, Romano Liao, ran the nation until his suicide. With her military shattered, and much of her nation's industry under foreign control, Romano struggled to ensure the Capellan Confederation's survival. It would be decades before the Capellan Confederation would be a threat once more.
ComStar and the Federated Suns negotiated a settlement to restore communications to the Suns that included stationing ComGuard troops within FedSuns space to protect their HPGs from further attack. Secretly, ComStar's intelligence agency, ROM, and MIIO fought a shadow war for years.
When the Lyrans failed to retake every Rasalhague world, they declared that they could not give the Rasalhagians their independence. Not content with that, the Rasalhagians grumbled until ComStar negotiated a settlement with the Draconis Combine that allowed for Rasalhagian independence. Shamed by the Draconis Combine's willingness to grant the Rasalhagians independence, the Lyran Commonwealth had no choice but to cede their conquered worlds to the new Free Rasalhague Republic.